News Stories

The Digital Divide for LGBTQ People Is Real: These Groups Are Trying to Bridge It

Over the course of a normal week, SAGE provides a lifeline—both real and virtual—to the LGBTQ+ community in New York City and around the country.

Through its New York City-based CyberCenters, SAGE offers free access to computers and tech support to several hundred older adults at five locations, as well as virtual services.

“When you look at older LGBT adults that are receiving services, these are the older adults that have faced years of discrimination that have resulted in lower incomes and not having pensions,” says David Vincent, chief program officer at SAGE. “It’s their income that really affects their ability to get connectivity.”

With equipment funded by the David Bohnett Foundation, these CyberCenters help seniors with everything from checking email to handling online banking to managing their healthcare.

For these LGBTQ elders, many of whom can’t afford the cost of broadband at home, “the digital divide is real and has a significant impact,” according to Vincent.